virtual water as a concept
TRANSCRIPT
Virtual Water as a Concept
Chan Ka NokMSc candidate in Sustainable Resources Management, Technische Universität München, Germany
What is Virtual Water?
Virtual Water
• Freshwater
• Origin
• Reference to product mass
• Virtual Water Content
Sources: deviantart.net
Classification of Water Footprint
Green Water
• rainwater stored in the soil in form of soil moisture
sources: diacarbon.com
Grey Water
• pollution related
• freshwater required to assimilate the load of pollutants
• based on existing ambient water quality standards (Hoekstra et al., 2011)
Sources: ed101.bu.edu
Virtual water trade balances of thirteen world regions 1995-1999
Source: Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003)
Virtual water balance per country related to trade in agricultural
and industrial products1996-2005
Source: Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2011)
WF Accounting Approach
Water Footprint Assessment Manual
WF Accounting
1. setting goals and scope
2. accounting
3. assessing sustainability
4. formulating responses
Top-Down Approach
total use of water resources in the area
+
Net import of Gross virtual water
(import - export)
Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com
Bottom-up Approach
• ALL goods and services
• number of inhabitants
• respective water needs (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012a)
Sources: tmemarketing.com
Top-down or Bottom-up?
WF Accounting Approach
Top-Down Approach
total use of water resources in the area
+
Net import of Gross virtual water
(import - export)
Sources: www.tradeandexportme.com
Bottom-up Approach
• ALL goods and services
• number of inhabitants
• respective water needs (Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012a)
Sources: tmemarketing.com
Current Problem
large product WFs in water-abundant areas
• Increase water productivities (reduce product WFs) in water-abundant areas traded internationally
• wise allocation of freshwater resources to alternative purposes (Hoekstra, 2011)
Policy Responses
• Reduction
• Efficiency
• Offsetting
• Water Neutral
• Water Footprint Cap
• Water Footprint Permits
• Water Labelling
Emission Reduction
• Market Potential
• Economic Potential
• Technical Potential
–John Fitzgerald Kennedy
“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
Reference
• Ercin, A. Ertug; Hoekstra, Arjen Y. (2012): Carbon and water footprints. Concepts, methodologies and policy responses. Paris: UNESCO.
• Hoekstra AY. (ed) (2003) Virtual water trade: Proceedings of the International Expert Meeting on Vir- tual Water Trade, Delft, The Neth- erlands, 12-13 December 2002. Value of Water Research Report Series No.12, IHE, Delft, the Netherlands.
• Jones, J. A. A (2010): Water sustainability. A global perspective. London: Hodder Education.
• Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2011) National water footprint accounts: the green, blue and grey water footprint of production and consumption, Value of Water Research Report Series No.50, UNESCO-IHE.